


Understood Souls

by Lunartosolar



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Airplane Crashes, Betrayal, Culture Shock, F/M, Family, Glorfindels hair is goals, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-27 21:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunartosolar/pseuds/Lunartosolar
Summary: Sophie never felt she belonged; anywhere. A story of friends, romance, culture, and betrayal. New twist on Middle Earth.





	1. Bermuda mysteries

Sophie sat in the hard backed, plastic chairs of the airport, nervously checking her phone for the time. 10:32. Only 15 more minutes until boarding began. She couldn’t shake a feeling of premonition, but knew her anxiety and fear of planes could be making that a great deal worse. She tapped her feet and turned to her sister. “Libby, I really hate flying, no matter how safe you say we will be. Yeah, thousands upon thousands of planes are in the air everyday but we are 40,000 feet in the air. What if we hit an air pocket?” Sophie turned to her bag and shifted through it, popping a piece of gum in her mouth, and chewed it ferociously. She quickly stood, paced in front of her chair for a few minutes, then clunked back down on her chair.  
  
“For fuck’s sake, we are going over the Bermuda triangle. That location has been ridden with downed planes, destroyed ships, and people never to return. They haven’t even found the wreckage of half of those planes, or ships. We are flying right over! What IF something happens? What if we we are that one plane out of a million?” Sophie wrung her hands and grew angry at her sister’s annoyed face.  
  
“Sophie, nothing will happen. This happens every time you fly. You sit here and are anxious but guess what? Everything is fine each time. Now you’re just being annoying.” Libby turned to her phone, texting away.  
  
Sophie huffed and stood up, pacing. She heard the overhead speaker relay, “Flight 1308, boarding now. First class may now board.” Sophie smoothed her crumpled boarding pass as she watched the gaggle of people move forward. The mothers with their babies soothing them, the businessmen chatting away on their phones, college girls ready for vacation giggling in groups, all such different walks of life. Sophie had a pang of loneliness, waiting in line while her sister paid her no attention. Sophie always felt like something was missing from her life. A hidden puzzle piece, a sense of restlessness. She joined groups, kept herself busy, went on vacations and no matter what she did, deep down, something felt... wrong. Sophie yearned to be somewhere she was understood, and her soul called out to be appreciated.  
  
Sophie was nudged by her sister as the group around her started to move.  
  
"Now boarding Group D. Please give your boarding pass to the attendants.”  
  
Sophie smoothed her crumpled boarding pass again before handing it to the sickly sweet, smiling attendant.  
  
She followed her sister, up into the plane, and finding their seats they sat, side by side. Sophie listened with one ear to her sister chatting about her newest boyfriend, and recent parties, who got wasted, who slept with who, and meaningless gossip. All the while wishing she wasn't on the plane, and on solid ground, instead.  
  
"Anyway, I'm going to sleep while we fly. Wake me if you need me." With that, Sophie watched as Libby buckled her seatbelt and drifted off to sleep.  
  
Sophie followed the directions of the flight attendant to buckle her seatbelt, and her stomach lurched as she felt and heard the roar of the engines starting. Clenching the armrests her knuckles turned white, and Sophie grit her teeth, and the plane moved forward. She felt the power of the engine as the plane took off and the force of it, pulling her back in her seat.  
  
Sophie trembled slightly, attempting to stop, but unable to. She was embarrassed at her own reaction, that she was so nervous but everyone else seemed so calm. Rising rapidly in the air made her stomach drop and her ears pop as the pressure fluctuated. _Just keep calm, keep calm, you're okay, you're okay. Plenty of people fly each year and they're fine._ She repeated those words of assurance to herself, a mantra of sorts.  
  
After the plane leveled out, Sophie relaxed, easing back from her earlier rigid posture. She took her tablet out, and turned to the movie she downloaded. Recommended by a forum online, Sophie purchased it a few hours earlier, noting how everyone commenting said it would truly immerse you and make you feel as if you belonged. _Lord of the Rings... so we know there is a ring. OOOOOOO elves! Men! Dwarves!_ Sophie liked the beginning already. She cracked her back half-way through the movie, then again at the end, feeling the ache of sitting in one position without moving. So good. Man, I wish I had discovered this earlier. Sophie exited out of the app, turning on her mind numbing games, to pass more time. Slowly her head nodded forward, and her grip on the tablet loosened and her hands relaxed in light sleep.  
  
A shift in the plane woke Sophie from her snooze as the overhead speaker in bland tones crackled out, “The pilot has turned the seatbelt light on. Please put your seatbelt on, we are encountering slight turbulence.” Sophie fortunately kept her seatbelt on the entire time, due to her worries and need to keep safe.  
  
The plane began shaking, and wavering. That lasted for a few minutes, the silence on the plane was oppressive. It stopped for a bit, before a large popping noise drew screams and curses from the fliers. Sophie could hear her sister starting to get scared and curse under her breath, just having woke up a few minutes ago. She felt her sister grab her hand, which in itself was rare because Libby only shared her affection with either her boyfriend or friends. They clenched and squeezed their hands, drawing comfort from one another.  
  
The plane dropped making other passengers scream in fear and terror. A smell of smoke and acid drifted in the cabin, choking and thick. Sophie choked on the smoke and could see through the haze that people were having the same reactions as she was.  
  
The pilot’s voice crackled through the smoke, “This is the pilot speaking. Prepare for crash position.”  
  
The plane began to descend rapidly, throwing Sophie back in her seat. She heard crashes behind her, and she assumed most likely it was people who refused to buckle. Oxygen masks dropped down, and Sophie grabbed at hers with shaking hands. She sucked in the sweet, clear oxygen as others beside her passed out. Alarms began to blare overhead, the screeching dulled as Sophie’s heart beat a symphony in her chest. She dared a quick glance at her sister, who was slumped over, cell phone clutched in her hand.  
  
Overhead compartments popped open as the plane tilted on its right side. As the plane began a freefall and others tucked their head between their knees and hands over their head, Sophie was attempting to follow suit when a heavy, hard, carry on suitcase flew off the rack and slammed into Sophie’s right temple. Her head erupted in sharp, gnawing pain. It was focused on the front of her head but with that falling of the airplane, the pressure increased, making her feel as if her head weighed 150 pounds. The space behind her eyes began to ache and warm liquid dripped down her head, onto her jeans.  
  
The world around her dimmed as she faintly heard the screaming around her and the jarring impact of the plane hitting something before she passed out, and the environment around her grew dark  
  
The oddest thing was she could hear whispers around her, unlike the screaming earlier. They seemed melodic and beautiful. Voices that floated through the air, leaving golden, wispy trails in their wake.  
  
Sophie felt like she was floating on her back, drifting on nothing. She felt comforted, protected, and oddly enough, warm. She tried to open her eyes, but saw nothing until the darkness lightened to reveal a heavenly aura. A man -- no, a being was more like it. Not defined as male or female, with long, ashen white hair. The hair was almost silver in color, not the color of age as Sophie was used to. The face was ethereal, and serene, ageless. His eyes were what caught and held Sophie’s attention. They were bottomless pale amber pits of all knowing and all encompassing wisdom, and she was in awe. _Who is this? If I could say just like God, I would._  
  
The being spoke, surprising Sophie. “Greetings, Edain Sophie. You have stumbled on this realm, uninvited. I have known souls such as yours, and none have shone to me like yours. You are lonely. Your fea is dying, in the world of men. I have been granted the request of your fea, and a new life, for you. You were never meant for this world, little one. I shall place you in our world, child, but it is up to you to weave your song in Eru Illuvutar’s making.”  
  
A small gazebo sat a few yards away from where they were, the designs twisting like branches on a tree, the wood a light grey. She sat on soft, spring green grass, soft as moss. The ground was pleasantly lukewarm, free of twigs or stones. Trees surrounded the small glade, the colors of the leaves sharp and similar to the grass. She could hear a small stream to her back, the gurgling unmistakable. Sophie zoomed back to the conversation, and this being.  
  
_World? What world? I mean, it's true I feel depressed, and lonely, but I don't want to leave Mom, Dad, or Libby._ “I don't understand what you mean, sir. Another world? I just want to go home! Who are you? Where am I?” Sophie finished her speech, closing her eyes tightly. She flinched as a cool hand pressed against her forehead.  
  
“You will find what you need, child. As for I, you may know me as Ohan. I am the deliverer for the veil between your world and ours. I will be your guide, for this world; you will be quite confused and disoriented when you awake. Do not fear; you will not be alone. Now, sleep. Watch for the flower.”  
  
_Flower? What flower? _Before Sophie could voice her thoughts, Ohan laid a hand over eyes, and Sophie slept.__


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long guys! Been crazy busy!

A tweeting bird sounded off to the left of Sophie, the call unfamiliar. A slow spreading, fire like pain enveloped her entire right shoulder, and the upper half of her arm felt heavy and immovable. Sophie’s headed pounded like someone was beating on it with a steel drum, the copper smell and warm trickle down the side of her head alerting her to the bleeding. She took stock of the situation, mentally recalling what happened. _Plane crash? Okay. Fuck, everything aches in some way, but my shoulder and head hurt immensely. Her legs felt sore, and she could see where some shrapnel had worked it’s way into her calf, the leg oddly numb and unfeeling, as if the area below her knee was asleep. Moving me to a new world without a new body… glorious._  
  
Sophie tried to familiarize her surroundings. She lay between a large rock and a massive oak tree, partly shielded from view. She looked down at herself and gasped. Her clothing was in tatters, large, visible rips where she assumed shrapnel from the plane had glanced her clothing. Her shirt and pants were uncomfortably damp, presumably from blood, because the concentration seemed to be on her calf, and upper shirt, but the garments were stained with dirt so it was hard to tell.  
  
Sophie attempted to sit up, but quickly dismissed that idea when her head spun so fast, she thought she would pass out. Knowing she would need help, but unfamiliar with the area, Sophia started internally panicking, and the anxiety she knew well reared it’s ugly head. _I can’t move! How am I going to get help? I’m going to die here… alone. Ohan was wrong…_  
  
Sophie snapped her head to her side when a rustle to her left made her heart beat hard. Who is that? Is it an animal? Am I going to be eaten? Sophie forced her body to comply with her mind. She rose on her knees, leaning back on her ankles, a hand on the tree for support. Ignoring the warning bells in her wobbly legs, the fiery pain in her temple and the grinding pain of the metal wedged in her calf, Sophie faced the rustling bushes. _Even though I’m not much better than when I was sitting on the ground, at least I’m standing now. It’s not like I could run away anyway._  
  
A large rabbit bounded out of the forest, eliciting a groan of frustration out of Sophie. _I got scared of a rabbit? Come on, Sophie! Get it together, you idiot._  
  
Sophie turned the opposite way, slowly to not further her injuries and stopped, only to see several arrows inches from her, drawstrings taut on the bows, ready to strike. Sophie froze in fear. She watched as a couple of these warriors bows wavered, once they saw her injuries but still kept their arrows in the same place. They were all in muted colors of brown, green, red, and gold, with their hair braided on the sides of their head, pulling it back. Their hair shades wavered between light brown and jet black, all had hard stares of grey or dark eyes, and pale skin. They were both incredibly beautiful… and utterly terrifying. _Hooooly hotties… Scary hotties. Stop it, Sophie. Not the time!_  
  
“Who are you, human? What are you doing past our scouts undetected? Explain yourself.”  
  
Sophie opened her mouth, then shut it, unable to compile words, still extremely fearful, and in pain. She put her back to the tree, sliding down to sit on the ground, looking up at them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered. “I just woke up here, please, I don't know where I am. I don’t mean you any harm, I promise!” _It might be prudent to not mention my dream of being brought here. I don’t want people to think I’m nuts, but I’m feeling pretty crazy right now._  
  
As Sophie looked upon the weapons, she began to become dizzy and disoriented, some of the figures doubling. Before Sophie could utter another word, she fainted, slumped against the tree.  
  
_Sophie awoke to the same bubbling brook as before. She forced herself to a seated position and glanced around, her body painless in this dream world. The same being as before sat in the gazebo, hands folded, seeming to be patiently waiting. Sophie drew herself up, walking timidly to the gazebo. “Um, I don’t understand why I’m here… Or where I even am. I wake up in a place that isn’t familiar, injured with people pointing weapons at my face. Could you, ya know, explain things to me?”_  
  
_Ohan gazed at her, slight amusement in his eyes. He placed his hand over his heart and gestured for her to sit next to him. “When I planned to send you from your world to ours, it was to open a realm of understanding very much needed for you. Your soul, essentially, was dying. It called with remarkable clarity and purity. My maker commanded, I obeyed. You are very unusual to call so heartily, for a human, to where we can hear, through the veil of the worlds.” Ohan paused at the incredulous look on Sophie’s face._  
  
_“Human? You’re not human? What are you? An alien?” Sophie blurted out, then covered her mouth with her hands and looked abashed. “Sorry…”  
“I’m not an alien; WE are not aliens. The places of Middle-Earth include dwarves, elves, humans, hobbits, and numerous others. The world needs healing and strength. Long has Middle Earth suffered under wrath and ruin. Evil does not only exist in your world, but ours too. To see a human untouched by malice is exceedingly rare. I have been commanded by Eru for your mission, Sophie. I will be your guardian through this journey. There are few mixes between races, human and elves. You will be neither completely man, or completely elf. Now, you must return, speak not of our dreams. They will be revealed to those deserving in due time.”_


	3. Unfriendly

So sorry guys! Too long I haven't posted! Long story. I just started medication for my raging anxiety and OCD and it is helping me focus on writing! Plus life changes. I will be more forthcoming with these new chapters! Enjoy babes!

A crackling was the first sound that Sophie heard, before she attempted to force her eyelids open. To her dismay, Sophie could barely open her eyes. The energy required was just too much for her to attempt. Sophie then sat with her eyes closed until she could gather the energy and attempted to pinpoint her surroundings.

_First, my body. Head was okay, a dull throbbing, better than the roar it was earlier. Shoulders are sore, along with multiple other parts of my body. Okay, scratch that, all of my body. My shoulder feels odd, heavy... and numb. Same with my calf. I hope I didn't bleed out right here... That would suck. Survived a plane crash and right here is where I go. Actually am I dead? Ohan maybe had gotten confused 'cause it would be just my luck._ Sophie then turned her attention to her surroundings, and was able to shift her position on the ground, where she could feel a root digging into her back.

The crackle and pop of the fire, a rustling a few feet from her, and then the air around her disturbed. A cool hand was laid on her forehead, and hands carefully checking where she knew the injuries were. Sophie gathered up her will and forced her eyes to open a crack where she could view a fire to her left, the heat wafting her way and encouraging her. She tilted her head slightly to face the sounds of movement and whispering. There was a group of people sitting around a fire, some reclining comfortably, others engrossed in tasks and a few standing, looking into the distance alert, and aware. Sophie felt oddly calm, like that one time in college when she had smoked marijuana and sat on the bed for hours staring at nothing but a bland tv show. _I feel like I'm floating… like out of my own body. I'm tired, but I think at least I should feel pain? At least a bit? Why am I not scared? I just had weapons pointed at me, and now I'm laying on the ground with people I do not know, these… people? Shit, motherfucker, they have pointed ears! WHAT. THE. CRAP._ She followed the points of their ears down, to slender figures, and long legs. _Okay, so they all have dark hair.. Mostly. And they're pretty quiet. I can hear whispers but otherwise, they don't speak any louder than that. I can try to hear more but my head feels so heavy, and even thinking requires too much energy. I know I should feel scared and alarmed but I just feel nothing._ Sophie lost her train of thought when a pair of brown, oiled, fine leather boots came into her line of vision, followed by a crouching elf, with a mane of long, thick, blond hair. He had pale skin, luminescent blue eyes, and long lashes, with a high nose. He was remarkably fair, and men back on Earth didn't even hold a candle to his beauty. _Oh man, I better not say something stupid, 'cause he looks important and I always say the most ridiculous things when I'm nervous._

"So, human, what were you doing on our borders, past our guards, basically unarmed? Don't you know it's dangerous to be alone with no weapons? Who are you?" The elf spoke, crouching.

_I don't want to be sitting while he's asking me questions, that's not polite._ Sophie tried to urge her body upward, but not one part of her body complied. She let out a long sigh and the elf blinked before helping her upward and leaning her carefully against a nearby tree.

"I do not know where I am, who you are, why I am here, anything." Sophie tried to give a small smile but it ended up as a painful grimace instead, her speech slow, and the words heavy in her mouth.

"How did you come upon these injuries? We do not normally receive others with such severe injuries without having been in battle."

_Shit! I don't really know what to say to that without giving anything away._ Sophie could feel him watching her eyes and facial movements for clues of distress, or lying, and she was careful to keep her face blank. "I fell from very high… Last I remember I was opening my eyes in the forest. I faintly remember crawling to find help, after I had climbed to the top of a tree to view where exactly I was to get a grip on my location."

He gave her a disbelieving look, his carved features cold and doubtful. "You.. fell? With metal, unknown to us, wedged in your calf? Explain, I am not one to tolerate lies."

Sophie fell silent, measuring his facial reactions. _Shit, shit shit. Shit._ "I do not know how to explain, exactly, without you thinking I am absolutely nuts."

Glorfindel looked at her long and hard, before turning to another elf behind him and speaking in low tones. He turned back to her, his face inscrutable.

"We will see, human, when you arrive with us, just what happened to you." He stalked off into the night, the trees swallowing him beyond the clearing.

An elf with long dark brown hair came to crouch beside her, her dark amber eyes warm and inviting. "I am Aundimel, and I am a healer. May I check your injuries?"

Sophie grimaced at the thought of anyone touching her but obliged, glad it was a woman. As much as these male elves were hot, seemingly angsty, and mysterious, she still welcomed the comfort of another female tending to her. Plus, she was definitely feeling her wounds more. As Aundimel turned to a brown satchel lying a few feet away, Sophie was lost in her thoughts. _What is it with these elves all being glaringly beautiful, I feel so, so… plain next to her. Like a caterpillar next to a butterfly._ Sophie mentally shook out of her thoughts, and blinked as Aundimel come over once again.

Aundimel handed her a small, clay cup with an herbal smell wafting from it. Sophie looked into the cup and recoiled slightly. _No doubt it's going to be worse than the cold medicine Mom used to push down my throat when I was sick. Nasty orange goo, tasted like rotten eggs, artificially sweetened to hide it._ "What is it?" Sophie asked, curiously.

Aundimel gave her a sympathetic look. "It is a pain reliever, so if anything hurts more then you can bear let me know and I'll strengthen the brew. This will make you quite drowsy, perhaps a bit out of it because traveling will be quite uncomfortable for you. It is quite nasty, so I added honey."

_Oh gee, traveling. Just what I wanted to do, probably arrive and get interrogated. Wonderful… Wonderful._ Sophie shuddered, and tipped back the cup. She immediately forced herself to swallow, not trying to think about the taste. It took all of Sophie's mental strength to not spew the brew everywhere. _Vile, it was. Bleh, tastes like the one time I tried taking a diet regime, and had to inhale that foul drink mix. No, it's worse._

Sophie handed her the cup, shifting her tongue around, trying to get the aftertaste out of her mouth. Aundimel bustled around her, one hand checking her shoulder, another going to her ankle, and lifting the linen bandages there. She grabbed a bowl and unscrewed the lid before smearing it on Sophie's now twitching calf, her muscles protesting and skin aching. She tried to pull her ankle away but the slender hand of Aundimel on her ankle prevented her from doing so.

"I know it must be quite uncomfortable, especially since the metal was close to your bone and a major artery. But the lotion should help numb the area and hopefully prevent any persistent bacteria. It's made of elderberry and other herbs, hence the smell. The tea I gave you earlier should start working soon. Until then, just rest."

_Why is she taking such kind care of me? It's pretty obvious that the blond one doesn't trust me one bit._

Aundimel gave her a smile and walked back closer to the fire with her satchel of supplies, sitting next to a slim male elf, with large, almond shaped eyes and light brown hair.

_He's dressed a little differently than the other elves from earlier and now. He has weapons, looks like long daggers, but his hair is tied differently. And his clothes are different colors._ The elf in question looked up at Sophie and met her gaze squarely. He blinked at her, then inspected her with his gaze before bringing his attention back to Aundimel and conversing quietly.

Sophie turned her gaze upwards to the stars twinkling in the night sky, through the spaces in the leafy canopy. _I wonder where you are. If I ended up here, where are you? Lilly where are you? I hope you're okay… Please be okay. Just, please. I can't imagine you gone, or life without you._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the massive delay! I work two jobs so it's demanding. I will be updating at a more regular time.

Sophie awoke to the hustle and bustle of a camp being packed away, and Aundimel’s hand on her shoulder.

“Come child, take this medicine before we depart. We have a long few days ahead.”

Sophie blinked blearily, glancing around. Packing was being done at a rapid pace and fires being double checked to make sure they were snuffled out to prevent any lingering sparks. They loaded saddlebags on the horses; each had loads on either sides, and thin blankets were thrown over each horse, for the horse’s comfort. Saddles were thumped on next, and girths adjusted. Each saddle was varying shades of light brown to dark brown, while slightly dusty. The horses’ hooves were checked for any stones or foreign items before being rounded up, waiting for their owners to mount.

Aundimel tapped Sophie’s cup, reminding her to hand it to Aundimel, before she stored the cup and grabbed her horse’s bridle. “This is my steed. You will be riding with me for the journey, and I will oversee your injuries. You will ride in the front of me, and we will stop for rest every few hours.” Aundimel beckoned for the elf Sophie noticed yesterday. He came over with a curious look, and Aundimel introduced him. “This is Calanon our other resident healer. If you have any aches or pains that cannot be ignored, you may come to him as well. We must make haste, as there are unsavory creatures around.”

Sophie let the horse sniff her hand as Aundimel mounted and slid backwards to make room for Sophie. Calanon came behind Sophie and lifted her by her waist to sit in front of Aundimel, adjusting her various states of injuries to prevent further discomfort. They stood in place for a few minutes, the occasional snort from a horse and hoof stomping, but otherwise quiet.

Aundimel beckoned her horse forward, Sophie jolting to keep her balance and wincing when her leg ached in protest. This is so NOT going to be fun! She headed towards the middle next to Calanon who was currently mounted and strapping a quiver to his chest and a dagger sheath to his saddle.

_Boy, these elves sure carry a lot of weapons! Are we in danger? I thought Cala-something or another was a healer? Why the weapons then?_

As if he could sense her curiosity, Calanon met her eyes and replied, “We all carry weapons. This is a dangerous time -- many orcs and wolves have been sighted in this area. We carry for an abundance of caution and preservation. Orcs and wolves hunt in packs, so it's better to be prepared. You are riding in the middle because healers ride inside while warriors ride on the outside.”

Sophie looked around at the horses and riders patiently waiting, some leaning to adjust their seats before setting off, others talking side by side quietly. By the front of the group was that blond elf Sophie was questioned by earlier. He was standing tall and proud in the saddle, his golden hair a banner in the wind, his horse snowy white and muscular. He met Sophie’s gaze, his eyes hard before breaking contact and gesturing his horse to move forward. Everyone set off in a slow walk for a few minutes, Sophie trying to move with the gait of the horse, unused to riding.

Aundimel's hands rested on the reins in front of her, her arms a steady enclosure around Sophie. They picked up to a trot, Sophie tried to hang on as well as she could. Aundimel’s arms tightened their grip, ensuring Sophie wouldn't fall. Calanon was riding alongside them, the horses’ flanks feet apart. Sophie could feel his gaze on her, measuring how she was faring. _I wouldn't doubt that she's somehow watching me also from behind._

As they trotted for a while, Sophie began to feel drowsy, her eyes closing beyond her will. _I guess that medicine she gave me earlier is really... kicking in…_ Sophie slept.

She awoke to a raindrop hitting her on the eyelid, _Bugger, I hate the rain when I'm outside… wait._ Sophie took stock of her surroundings. She lay propped on the ground, her back against a boulder. Elves were walking back and forth, some carrying saddles, others carrying flasks. Sophie unthinkingly moved her leg and groaned at the lightning pain that shot up her leg. Her shoulder was aching, again, making Sophie feel miserable.

Calanon, noticing she was awake, headed over. He knelt to her level, a hand on her good shoulder. “How are you feeling? Achy I bet. To a non trained eye, Sophie would look plain tired. But to a trained, experienced eye, he could easily tell the travel was making her more tired than it would if she was in perfect health, noting the pale pallor of her skin, the slumped posture, and her shifting of weight, to keep weight off her injuries. He noted to mention it to Aundimel before they departed, as it would be a few hours for the horses to get adequate rest.

At Calanon’s inquiry, Sophie signed and threw a strangled smile on her face. “I’m okay. Just a but sore, not as bad as before though.” Calanon’s look of disbelief said more than words ever could. After a combination of traveling, not accustomed to being in the saddle and injuries, Sophie was exhausted, mentally and physically.

Calanon gave a pointed look at her and shook his head. “You’d be wise to heed a healer and tell the truth. With centuries of experience we can easily spot an injury. Otherwise you will just make it harder on yourself, and lose our trust that you are not in pain. Be honest, with yourself and with us in terms to your healing. We have healed many a warrior and civilian alike. Now, tell me honestly, how are you feeling? What pains you?”

Sophie’s mind raced. _I’m fucking crazy I swear. Something isn’t adding up. Did I hit my head too hard? Am I really here? Am I having a wacky dream? This just doesn't make sense. I feel like my head is spinning with this information and I’m being delayed processing it. It… it just doesn’t feel real. This doesn’t happen to people, it just doesn’t, especially to someone like me._ Sophie brought her knees up, ignoring the protests of her injuries, brought to a roar because of the movement, and buried her head in her knees. Muffled by the sounds of others moving around her, Sophie let out a small sob, trying to quiet the sounds so no one would hear or notice and she could have a moment of self pity. She wasn’t fooling anyone. She stayed in that position for a while, looking track of time as she dozed lightly in her misery, eyes itching and heavy, the skin around her eyes feeling tight.

Sophie was startled out of her doze at a warm hand placed on her good shoulder. She let out an involuntary groan at her body’s response to being surprised, her body screaming at the sudden movement. She lifted her head, to see Aundimel crouching by her, one hand holding a cup, and the other still on her back. “Drink this, I can see you're in pain. We still have a ways to go, and I would prefer you to be asleep for most of it.”

Sophie willfully accepted the cup, tired, and in too much pain to argue. She gulped it down, gagging internally at the taste, but welcoming the drowsy darkness it brought, and that soothing release from her pain, mentally and physically. Sophie knew the more she didn't process her loss and keep pushing it out of her thoughts, the worse her grief would be in the long run. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to care. This was just too much.

Sophie drifted off, barely acknowledging the sudden soft cushion below her, and the hand stroking her hair.

She was surrounded by agonizing flames, licking across her flesh, leaving bursts of pain as they flickered and popped. She choked on the smoke, thick and heavy, making the visibility hard. She held a hand in front of her face, and could barely see her fingers in front of her face. Her eyes watered from the heavy air, and the singe of the flames.

The flames parted to reveal a man, clad in all black, his hair a glinting silver, accenting the flames now behind him as the smoke cleared in a circle, enclosing only her and the mysterious man, the flames popping behind them. He was tall, towering over her, his eyes piercing through her, the pupils a bright, startling orange. His hair was long, to his waist, straight and he held an aura of seduction. He wore a long black robe, shimmering in the dance of the flames. His boots were black with heavy buckles on either side, clanking as he stalked towards her.

Sophie blanched, and looked for any object she could use to protect herself. The ground was bare of any usable objects, so Sophie took off her shoe and threw it at him, taking off running.

She jumped through the flames with an agonizing gasp. Her whole body burned with a fierceness unrivaled by her plane crash injuries. Even though the man did not say a word, she could sense his intentions, laced with malice. He would do something unthinkable to her, the alarm bells in her head ringing. Her mind and body both agreed in symphony to run, get away, and not to let him catch her. So Sophie ran, across the barren, desolate wasteland, a tall mountain far in the distance. The small, sharp rocks bit at her feet, and she stumbled on one to look back and see him advancing, his beautiful face twisted into an ugly sneer.

**“You cannot run, little mouse, I see you. I will catch you.”**

Sophie bolted, running like the depths of hell were nipping at her heels. She ran towards a vague forest in the distance. As it grew closer and her lungs burned, she could make out little golden flowers dotting the sparse grass growing. She gasped for breath, her mind urging her to reach that forest. She felt a connection, a sudden warm pulse twisting though her.

**“I see you, little mouse. I see you.”**

Sophie jerked, giving one last dash towards the forest as she could, sensing the man fast on her heels.

She heard a voice ghost through the air, the tone warm and comforting. _“Come, come back to the light. Do not let the darkness swallow you whole. Come back to the darkness, child. Do not let the darkness swallow you whole. Come now.”_

The voice had a strong pull to it, shattering the earth around her, and pulling her away from the nightmare. The man extended his hand, face contorted into an unrecognizable expression of pure menace and thunderous malice.

**“No!”** He screeched, his fingers wrapping around her wrist in a last effort to keep her there. He recoiled, snatching his fingers away in agony as his fingers bubbled and simmered upon touching her. He glared at her, and then sneered, with one last remark. **“I know who you are, Sophie of the void. I will find you, mouse, and we’ll have some fun.”**

Her wrist burned with a fiery wrath, and she watched in horror as her skin turned an ugly red, the flesh nearly burning away, in the imprint of his fingers. She looked up at him and zoomed in on his bubbling hand, where one finger lay missing. How freaking creepy, you asshole. Slowly the world around her faded to a soothing, merciful nothing.


End file.
